Rurouni Rhythm
by Angrybee
Summary: A complete re-telling of the Rurouni Kenshin tale, in verse. From haiku to Dr. Seuss to sonnet, Angrybee and the guest authors will strive to amuse!
1. Handsome Swordsman of Legend

DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin is fully owned by Shonen Jump and Nobuhiro  
Watsuki. I am merely a fan, and this is merely a work of fanfiction. No  
profits will be made from this epic.  
  
Rurouni Rhythm is a re-telling of the Rurouni Kenshin tale in verse.  
There may, in the future, be guest authors for specific episodes. Please  
check the author notes following each chapter for details.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Rurouni Rhythm ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Episode One: Handsome Swordsman of Legend  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
(Edgar Allen Poe Style):  
  
Once upon an era cheery, from a journey, bleak and weary  
Came a man who wished to kill no more.  
As he traveled, clearly brooding  
Thoughts of battles still intruding,  
Came a woman who's concluding...  
That he's the manslayer of lore.  
  
"I'm a rurouni," he muttered, "Upon my sword is no gore;  
I wander, and nothing more."  
  
Ah, distinctly I recall, it was in the blush of fall,  
As the red-headed Rurouni came to scrub the dojo floor.  
Eagerly, he made some food, put Kaoru in a happy mood,  
Tried to quell the silly feud, which had brought such gore,  
Still, a false Battousai was something he could not ignore.  
Yet, he wished to kill no more.  
  
And the silent midday bath, caused Kenshin to do his math  
And tapping, rapping wildly, he started to implore  
"Kaoru-dono, I entreat you, do not let suicide defeat you..."  
Then the kind rurouni beat down the entrance at the bathouse door  
A wild rurouni beat down the entrance at the bathhouse door.  
Kaoru screamed, and and got quite sore.  
  
Presently he was scolded, locked in a shed, old and molded,  
Late, she came, sleepless still, to meekly his forgiveness implore.  
But, the fact was, he was missing, so Kaoru started hissing  
The disappeared rurouni was pissing Kaoru off more and more.  
"Sure, he was the one who destroyed the bathhouse door.  
Yet I wished I'd asked his name before."  
  
Into the dojo darkly crashing, there came a man distinctly smashing  
Bashing, bullying Kaoru in ways that her father would abhor;  
But the terror was in error, for the sakabatou's bearer,  
Arrived and felled every wearer of a tanto or a sword.  
Battousai he was truly, yet he didn't even flip his sword.  
"I'm a rurouni, and nothing more."  
  
Back into the dojo turning, Kaoru was slowly learning  
That her guest was a killer, -the- killer of forgotten lore,  
"Surely," said she, "I would not mind a brand new visitor.  
To stay here, then, and rest his mind from horrid war.  
Stay here a day or month, and do the dojo's many chores,  
You're a manslayer, nevermore."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rurouni Rhythm will be a collaborative project.  
  
Submissions for subsequent episodes can be sent to: mindglue@io.com.  
  
1) The email subject must include the episode number and title. We will  
not accept submissions by review.  
  
2) The author's email address, ff.net username, and URL of the author's  
profile must be in the email. These will be included in the chapter if  
your entry is picked to appear as a guest author in "Rurouni Rhythm".  
  
3) Poems -must- be sent in .doc or .txt format.  
  
4) There is no guarantee that your poem will be used. Period.  
  
5) Poems may be of any format, from serious to humorous, from haiku to  
Dr. Seuss, sonnet to epic Homerian style. However, preference will be  
given to humorous poems.  
  
6) At this time, we are only looking for poems summarizing episodes  
through the end of the Kyoto arc. Feel free to send any episode number  
up to episode 65 at any time. 


	2. Kid Samurai

**Episode 2: Kid Samurai**

(Our Guest Author this chapter is "misaoshiru". We'd like to thank her for the wonderful poem. Please see the end of this chapter for her contact information.)

* * *

****

**"The Bratty Samurai... Why Don't You Become My Student?"**

Verily our dearest rurouni  
Was up to his neck in bubbles and suds  
For he volunteered to do the laundry  
And with small girls' help it became a flood.  
But a tanuki angers easily  
To the red-headed rurouni's woe  
And Kaoru-dono was mutt'ring darkly  
Complaining about how she didn't know  
Why her kendo students had gone away  
And hadn't returned after all this time  
"That Battousai thing ended!" she'd say  
"Kenshin defeated that stupid fat slime!  
So why haven't they returned to me yet?"  
"Calm down," Kenshin answered, "wait a while.  
It will take time, but they'll be back I bet  
Then you can restore the Kasshin style."  
"And what am I supposed to do 'til then?"  
She snapped angrily. "I can't spar with you!  
Without students I'll lose skill and can't win!  
So what the heck then am I to do?"  
Kenshin was at a loss for words to say  
In the nick of time Gensai-sensei came  
To pick up his granddaughters at midday  
And Kaoru made Kenshin buy lunch (how lame!)  
On the way to the rest'rant Akabeko  
A kid attempted to take Kenshin's cash  
But Kaoru got mad (she's Kaoru you know!)  
And she wanted dearly to try to mash  
The boy's head into the ground as hard as  
She could, but Kenshin restrained her and they  
Went to the rest'rant, and learned the boy has  
Been forced to pick pockets since that sad day  
When his mum died and filthy Yakuza  
Took advantage of him, made him steal  
So Kaoru got mad, calling them losers  
And left the place early in the meal  
She beat cheaters at gambling, got in a fight,  
A jerk tried to kill them, her and the boy  
When Kenshin showed up at the shady site  
Of the Yakuza's HQ, and, oh joy!  
Anticlimactically rescued the kid  
(Whose name was Myoujin Yahiko, 'kay?)  
And arranged for Yahiko, that he did,  
To get trained by Kaoru. Now you might say  
That this would solve all the problems they had.  
But teacher and apprentice, as was found,  
Would fight and make each other mad.  
So this was the Kasshin-ryuu's loud sound!  
Fighting and cries of "Busu!" would reign  
In the dojo 'til the boy would finally  
Master the style in which he would train  
Relentlessly. (Though not happily!)

------------ 

Glossary:  
1) Tanuki – a raccoon-like animal that Kaoru is often compared to.  
2) Busu - hag

------------

Contact Information:

e-mail: megansworldrules(at)yahoo.com  
ffnet penname: misaoshiru


End file.
